30 Million Households to Add Smart Home Technology in Next 12 Months

August Home and Xfinity Home Study reveals connected cameras, video doorbells and lights are smart home products highest on consumer’s priority list.

Are you ready to smarten up your house? Have you thought about adding technologies that would simplify your life or help curb energy use? Maybe you’re interested in incorporating systems that let you peek in on things while you’re gone? If so, you’re so not alone.

According to the results of a recent study of consumers commissioned by August Home and Xfinity Home, there’s a growing enthusiasm for and interest in smart security and smart home technology. The study, of nearly 1,300 U.S. consumers, sheds new light on what motivates adoption, what features are most compelling, as well as how consumers plan to use smart home technology.

Smart Home Market Should Double
Nearly 18% percent of survey respondents said they’d likely buy a new smart home product over the next 12 months, including 56% of those who already have installed at least one smart home product in their home. In addition, 12% of those without smart home technology said they were planning on buying a smart home product in the next 12 months, which would effectively double smart home ownership over the next year to 30 million households.

Looking for Safety & Convenience
When it comes to adopting smart home technology, family safety is the biggest motivator for most consumers (63%). However, adding convenience features, such as the ability to turn on lights after dark (54%) and the ability to provide remote access to service providers (22%) are also high on consumers’ wish lists. “Smart home technology is creating a new paradigm for home security,” said Jason Johnson, CEO of August Home Inc. “The new era of smart security and smart home products offer consumers visibility and control over their homes that previously had not been available with traditional security systems.”

“Comcast has a history of disrupting business models and bringing the newest technology to millions of homes,” said Dennis Mathew, vice president of Xfinity Home. “We did it with video, broadband, and voice. Now we’re doing with home security and the smart home. These survey results highlight consumers’ evolving interest in the Internet of Things, and we’re excited to partner with innovative companies like August Home to accelerate broad consumer adoption of smart home and smart security technology.”

Triggering Events for Smart Home Adoption
As for triggering events that would cause a consumer to get home security installed, neighborhood break-ins (46%) topped the list, followed by moving into a new house (26%), home remodeling (14%), managing a rental property (6%), and having a baby (5%).
Connected cameras (40%), video doorbells (26%), connected light bulbs (19%) and smart locks (13%), and all ranked high on security-adopting consumers’ wish lists. However, home security-adopters continue to value traditional features such as 24/7 call center monitoring stations that have served as the bedrock of the home security market for decades.
The adoption of new smart home products is both expanding the reach of home security and providing consumers with new ways to manage their busy lives. One way is by using a smart lock and smartphone to control access to the front door for home service providers. Fifty-seven percent of respondents indicated they are open to the idea of letting service professionals into their homes remotely with a smartphone. Consumers were more likely to open their home to service providers where there is a longer term relationship such as house cleaners (41%) and dog walkers (35%). There is also a growing comfort with opening the home to package delivery personnel and on-demand delivery services with one in five respondents indicating a willingness to allow remote access to their home for service provides they may only interact with once.
Safety and security are just one of many concerns weighing on the minds of consumers today. When asked what was mostly likely to keep them up at night, financial troubles (44%), falling ill of a terminal disease (21%) and the Presidential election (15%) ranked higher on the list of worries than a home robbery or invasion (9%) for most consumers. Yet, when asked what life event might be the catalyst for adopting new technologies, a home break-in or crime in the neighborhood (46%), ranked number one, followed by moving into a new home (26%), remodeling a home (14%) or having a baby (5%).

The Safe & Smart Home: Security in the Smart Home Era Report was commissioned by August Home and Xfinity Home, produced by research firm NextMarket Insights, and conducted as an online survey among a total of 1,293 U.S. consumers.

Lisa Montgomery has been a member of the Electronic House editorial team for nearly 20 years; most of that time as the Editor. With a knack for explaining complex high-tech topics in terms that average consumers can understand, her style of writing resonates with people who are interested in addition electronic systems to their homes, but are unsure of the steps involved and the solutions available. From basic lighting control systems to full-blown automation systems, Lisa understands the home electronics market well, and is able to point consumers in the right direction on their quest for a smarter, more convenient, efficient and enjoyable home.
Over the years, she has developed close relationships with key manufacturers and seasoned custom electronics professionals, giving her a keen sense of what home technologies are hot now and what's on the horizon. She shares this wisdom regularly through feature stories, product roundups, case studies technology spotlights and comprehensive guides and books, which can be found on the Electronic House website, www.electronichouse.com.
Have suggestions or something you want to read about? Email Lisa at [email protected]

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